Baltimore U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized over 200 pounds of marijuana that was being shipped in air cargo to Belgium, concealed in a shipment of men’s overalls.
The marijuana was inside 155 vacuum-sealed packages listed on the manifesto as “brace overalls for men / heavy duty workwear bib.”
According to a press release from CBP, “The marijuana collectively weighed 91.3 kilograms, or 201 pounds and five ounces, and has a street value of about $875,000 in the United States. Depending on potency, this shipment could have fetched two to three times more in Europe.”
The press release continued:
CBP officers continue to observe a continuing trend of transnational criminal organizations attempting to ship United States-based marijuana to Europe and Africa where high-quality weed can fetch huge profits.
Despite some states decriminalizing marijuana for medicinal or recreational use, bulk smuggling remains illegal, and federal law prohibits transporting marijuana across state lines or exporting it from the United States.
Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Border Enforcement Security Task Force are leading the investigation into the shipment.
“Smugglers, including transnational criminal organizations, based in oversaturated marijuana markets attempt to generate revenue by illegally exporting bulk shipments to markets across the globe,” said Jason Kropiewnicki, CBP’s Acting Area Port Director for the Area Port of Baltimore. “Customs and Border Protection officers are committed to enforcing our nation’s laws and interrupting these smuggling attempts to deprive criminals of their illicit profits.”
In 2024, CBP says its officers and agents seized an average of 1,571 pounds of drugs per day.
